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Opener in Bronx a wash; twin bill on Wednesday

Opener in Bronx a wash; twin bill on Wednesday

By Ken Gurnick
/
MLB.com |

NEW YORK -- Manager Don Mattingly had just told the media that his Dodgers were healthier than they've been in a while when Tuesday night's game was rained out, to be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday.

Now, can his Dodgers survive a second night off in New York unscathed?

The team needs to report to Yankee Stadium in the morning, with Hyun-Jin Ryu scheduled to start the first game, at 10:05 a.m. PT. Chris Capuano will be activated from the disabled list to start the second game, at 4:05.

"Any time you play two games, you have to eat lots of innings out of the 'pen, and it could put us in a little spot," Mattingly said. "But it also gives us two days to give the 'pen full rest."

The Dodgers will likely send down either reliever Chris Withrow or outfielder Alex Castellanos between games on Wednesday to make room for Capuano, depending on what happens in the opener.

More problematic for the Dodgers will be their choice of a Sunday starter in San Diego. With Ryu pushed back a day, he no longer is lined up to start on Sunday on regular rest, and he won't be asked to pitch on short rest.

The options?

Matt Magill hasn't been competitive in his last two callup starts, but he's on the 40-man roster, and he's scheduled to start on Wednesday for Albuquerque. Matt Palmer was scheduled to start for the Isotopes on Tuesday night; he's not on the 40-man roster. Palmer has Major League experience, as does Albuquerque teammate Aaron Laffey.

Top pitching prospect Zach Lee is scheduled to start on Wednesday for Double-A Chattanooga, but he's not on the 40-man roster, and the Dodgers have resisted calling him up each time they've turned to Magill.

Capuano will be activated after being out since May 30 with a strained left lat. He made a four-inning rehab start for Albuquerque on Friday night, throwing 60 pitches. He expects to be limited to 75 to 80 pitches against the Yankees, one reason why Withrow might be kept for both games.

In an ideal scenario, Capuano would have made at least one more Minor League rehab start for arm strength and expanded pitch count, but the Dodgers are thin in starting pitchers, having already lost Chad Billingsley for the year with Tommy John surgery and Josh Beckett out indefinitely with a nerve problem in his right shoulder.

Capuano is 1-4 with a 5.45 ERA, having tried unsuccessfully to pitch through a strained calf and the strained lat, both injuries eventually sending him to the sidelines.

In Tuesday's original lineup, Mattingly had Hanley Ramirez starting at shortstop and Jerry Hairston as designated hitter. Mattingly said that he probably won't push Ramirez's hamstring on Wednesday, giving him one start at shortstop and one at DH.

"I feel like this is one of the better lineups we've had," Mattingly said. "I feel we're past the point of giving Hanley the day-off thing. If he feels good, go with it. Same with Mark Ellis. Today is one of the first days in a while where I can use everybody."